Insight Briefing

Insight Briefing

To supplement the Active Lives Surveys (Adult and Children & Young People), Sport England are publishing a series of briefings providing a regular picture of physical activity behaviours and attitudes during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sport England are surveying a c.2000 adults each week. The survey explores the changes in people’s activity levels during the pandemic, including the frequency of exercise and also the type of activity people are taking part in. It also looks at people’s attitudes towards physical activity, and asks parents how their children have changed their exercise habits since the Covid-19 restrictions.

Data has been weighted to be representative of adults in England by age, gender, region and social grade, including those with children aged under 16 in their households.

From the 25th of May onwards, surveys will take place on a monthly basis, with ad hoc waves at other times in response to specific changes to restrictions or other identified needs.

More people agree they have more time now to be active (70%, highest yet).

41% found it easier to be active this week, an increase over week 7 (36%).

Limited movement on other attitudes.

Sources of trusted information about returning to sport and physical activity

The NHS, Central Government, The BBC, Friends and Family, and Local Councils are the top 5 sources of trusted information on returning to physical activity.

Trusted sources vary across demographic groups.

Headlines for 15-18 May 2020

In the first week since lockdown restrictions were eased, activity levels were at their highest since the survey began – but yet the inequalities remained.

29% of adults did less activity this week than the week before, while 23% did more

65% of adults think it’s more important to be active during the outbreak compared to other times

73% of adults agree exercise is helping them manage their physical health, with 66% using it to manage their mental health

65% of adults walked in the last week, 20% jogged, 16% cycled and 45% did home-based activity

34% of children, according to adults in their household, are doing fewer than 30 minutes of activity a day, while 20% are doing more than an hour.

Almost every group surveyed saw an increase in their activity levels – many to their highest level since the survey began – but there are still inequalities in people’s activity levels.

Only 11% of people said they did no activity in the last week, the lowest figure yet, while 35% of adults said they did at least 30 minutes of activity, at least five times a week – the highest figure yet.

And while only 7% of children did no activity, the lowest yet, the number of children doing fewer than 30 minutes of activity a day increased from 30% to 34%, while the number doing more than an hour a day went from 22% to 20%.

Walking and cycling both hit peak figures, while people’s attitudes and motivations towards physical activity continue to be positive.

Headlines for 8-11 May 2020

Activity levels are unchanged, but so too inequalities - Currently 33% of adults say they are doing more than usual, and 37% say they are doing less.

The gender gap persists - Men are more likely to do 5 x 30 than women; while women are more likely to be doing less activity than usual.

Inequalities remain - The picture of inequalities is similar to previous weeks.

Growth in walking and cycling

Walking hits a peak of 63%, an increase over wave 1 (59%).

Cycling (13%) has also increased over waves 1 (8%) and 2 (10%).

Home-based activity fell to 43% this wave compared to last week’s high of 48%.

Attitudes and motivations holding strong

Last week’s COM-B increases held this week, with the highest figures so far for ability (69%), Important (69%) and opportunity (67%) to exercise.

Significantly fewer people worry about leaving their house to exercise (54%), or feel guilty about wanting to exercise (26%).

The highest figure so far (64%) feel it’s more important to exercise at the moment.

Forming new habits and returning to old one

Walking, running, general exercise/fitness and cycling are the most common new habits people want to continue .

Gym work, swimming and walking are the most common activities people are looking forward to resuming.

Headlines for 1-4 May 2020

Activity levels are unchanged for adults and children

Although we’ve seen a decrease in adults doing 0 x 30 over wave 1. Currently 35% of adults say they are doing more than usual, and 36% say they are doing less.

61% of adults think it’s more important to be active during the outbreak compared to other times

67% of adults agree exercise is helping them manage their physical health, with 62% using it to manage their mental health

61% of adults walked in the last week, 19% jogged, 13% cycled and 48% did home-based activity

35% of children, according to adults in their household, are doing fewer than 30 minutes of activity a day, while 19% are doing more than an hour

The gender gap persists

The gender gap persists when using the 5 x 30 measure, but the figures for each gender saying they are doing more or less than usual are much closer this week

Home-based activity has picked up

After a slight drop last week, home based activity has picked up with its highest figure yet (48%).

84% of gym or leisure centre members say they are likely to resume their membership when facilities reopen, while 27% of non-members say they are likely to join.

Attitudes around motivation have improved slightly after last week’s apparent waning

We also saw an increase in people agreeing they have the ability and the opportunity to be active. And we’ve seen an increase over wave 1 in the number of people saying they’ve found new ways to be active.

Inequalities - For this wave Sport England have produced a visual table showing the effect of the lockdown on the physical activity of different groups, highlighting the inequalities. Please look at the full report attached for this table.

Headlines for 24-27 April 2020

Adults are reporting consistent physical activity levels over lockdown; however, more people now feel they are doing more – than less – physical activity than usual

Overall physical activity levels (as measured by the SIM*) are unchanged over 4 weeks. However, the proportions saying they are doing more or less than usual have shifted significantly. The reasons for this are unclear, but it could suggest people’s perceptions of what was ‘usual’ (pre-lockdown) have changed.

Inequalities continue: Women, older people, people on low incomes, people living alone, people without children in the household, people with a longstanding condition or illness, people self-isolating because they are at increased risk, and people without access to private outdoor space.

Headlines for 17-20 April 2020

Adults are reporting similar levels of physical activity to the previous week, but the ‘more/less’ gap has narrowed.

Wave 1: 31% more / 41% less. Wave 3: 34% more / 38% less

There is an emerging gender gap as males are more likely to be exercising more.

Decline in online exercise as people adjust to exercising out of the home

Participation in online/digital exercise has declined from 23% in wave 1 to 19% in wave 3.

We have seen a significant increase in cycling compared to waves 1 and 2 from 8% to 12%.

Running/jogging has also significantly increased from wave 2 from 16% to 19%

Fewer people this wave report worrying about leaving their home to exercise (56% compared to 60% in waves 1 and 2

A quarter of people exercising online cited Joe Wicks as the most useful instructor or influencer (26%).

Headlines for 10-14 April 2020

Adults are reporting similar levels of physical activity to the previous week.

According to adults, children have been slightly more active than they were the previous week. 18% of children are doing an hour or more of daily physical activity compared with 14% the previous week. A higher proportion of children (35%) are doing more physical activity than before the outbreak (as reported by adults).

There are still differences in levels of activity between different demographic groups.

People’s current feelings about physical activity are mostly similar to the previous week.

Headlines 3-6 April 2020

There has been a massive disruption in the physical activity behaviours of adults and children in England. 31% of adults did more and 41% did less physical activity in the last week compared to before the restrictions. In the same period 30% of children did more and 38% did less compared to pre-restriction levels.

There is a recognition of the importance of physical activity in response to the pandemic. 62% of adults think it is more important to be active during the outbreak compared to other times.

The majority of adults are using physical activity to help them manage their health. 69% of adults agree that exercise is helping them manage their physical health, whilst 65% agree it is helping them manage their mental health.

The Government’s messages about exercise may be having a positive impact.

53% of adults in England agree that they have been encouraged to exercise by the Government’s guidance.

59% of adults walked in the last week

44% did online fitness, offline fitness or informal activity in the home

18% went jogging

8% cycled

There are differences in levels of activity between different demographic groups. Older people, people on low incomes and people in urban areas are finding it harder to be active during the outbreak.